STIRRING STORY

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 59, 7 September 1914, Page 7

STIRRING STORY

TALE OF THE KAISER WILHELM SINKING OF THE KAIPARA. HOW THE GERMAN LINER WAS DESTROYED. (Received September 7, 8 a.m.) LONDON, sth September. Mr. Hubert Wilde, thief officer of tho Kaipara, in an interview, states,: — "From Cape Frio (German South- West Africa) the steamer avoided the usual trade routes, and did Jiot sight any ship until the sixteenth, when the Kaiser Wilhelm hailed us. The commander, through a megaphone, shouted, 'If you use wireless, we will use guns.' "The captain, lieutenant, and second lieutenant came on board the Kaipara. smashed the wireless, and placed exploeives in the stokehold. They ordered ■everyone to leave, and we were only allowed to take- our clothes, our individual loeses being considerable. "The Kaipara's boats, which conveyed the crew, were afterwards scuttled. "The Kaiser Wilhelm spent 1£ hours in firing fifty-three shots to sink, the Kaipara. "The prisoners were treated with great courtesy, and were provided with saloon berths. ARRIVAL OF H.M.S. HIGHFLYER "It was evident that the Germans did not relieh their task. Tho commander remarked that it was a. painful proceeding. "The same afternoon the Nyanga was sunk, and her crew taken aboard. "Next day the Kaiser Wilhelm entered Rio del Oro Bay, and coaled from a collier. "A week later, off Las Palmas, when tho ship -was coaling, the crew rushed on deck with pistols. "The petty-officers said, 'you'll be all right by aud by; wo think it is an English cruiser.' "Later on, the captain and lieutenant sajid, 'Gentlemen, please go aboard the Arucas at once. The British cruiser is going to fire.' "Many of the Kaiser Wilhelm's crow accompanied the prisoners to the Arucas, and threw their arms into the sea. GREAT LINER HAD NO CHANCE "Suddenly the Highflyer fired, and the Kaiser Wilhelm replied. The Arucas was still tied up, and the shells whizzed over our "heiTJs. The first shot gave us a bit of a shock, but our men acted with great coolness. I took the Aruca&'s wheel, and we gradually moved away. "The Kaiser Wilhelm hadn't a chance against the Highilyer. Owing to the short range, one of the Highflyer's first shots disabled the port quarter gun, and destroyed. part of tho 'bride. "When she sank, tho Arucas was several mues away.".